2012 Kia Soul Steering Problems

NHTSA component category: STEERING · data through 07/14/2026

163Steering complaints

31.8%Of all 513 complaints

#2Most-reported category

Source: U.S. NHTSA complaint data. Complaints are unverified reports from vehicle owners — a complaint is not a confirmed defect.

How steering ranks on this vehicle

ENGINE209 · 40.7%

STEERING163 · 31.8%

Unspecified / other39 · 7.6%

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM37 · 7.2%

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC34 · 6.6%

Share of the 513 complaints citing each category; one complaint can cite several. Full breakdown on the 2012 Kia Soul overview page.

What owners report

“MY STEERING WHEEL STARTED MAKING THIS CLUNKING NOISE IT HAD 50000 MILE ON IT, TOOK IT TO MY KIA DEALER, THE TOLD ME IT WAS…”NHTSA complaint 11115820 — filed 08/05/2018

“MY STEERING WHEEL STARTED MAKING THIS CLUNKING NOISE IT HAD 44,507 MILE ON IT,TOOK IT TO MY KIA DEALER,THE TOLD ME IT WAS A FLEXIBLE…”NHTSA complaint 11110556 — filed 07/10/2018

“STEERING WHEEL LOOSE AND CLICKING WHILE DRIVING. FELT LOOSE WHILE STATIONERY. LOCAL AUTO SHOP REPLACED MDPS FLEX COUPLING. IT WAS TOTALLY WORN OUT. CAR HAD…”NHTSA complaint 11109631 — filed 07/05/2018

Excerpts are shortened and scrubbed of personal details; they are individual, unverified reports.

Steering complaints by year filed

Frequently asked questions

Does the 2012 Kia Soul have steering problems?

Steering is the #2 most-reported problem area on the 2012 Kia Soul: 163 of 513 complaints on file (31.8%). Complaints are unverified owner reports, not confirmed defects.

How many complaints does the 2012 Kia Soul have in total?

513 complaints were on file with NHTSA as of 07/14/2026. Across all categories, 25 involved a crash, 23 involved a fire, 25 reported injuries, and 2 reported deaths.

What does NHTSA's steering category include?

NHTSA assigns each complaint to standard component categories; this page reports the STEERING category exactly as NHTSA defines and records it.

About this data — Complaint figures on this page are consumer reports submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a U.S. government agency. NHTSA does not verify individual complaints; a complaint is not proof that a defect exists, and counts reflect what owners chose to report, not confirmed failure rates. Recall information comes from official NHTSA safety recall campaigns; recall repairs are free at authorized dealers. Always check your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. CarModelProblems.com is an independent site and is not affiliated with NHTSA or any vehicle manufacturer. Data through 07/14/2026.